The Sunshine Coast Council has dreamed of a convention centre for years

A new casino could lure private investment into a convention & entertainment centre.

A new casino could lure private investment into a convention and entertainment centre at the Sunshine Coast. While the Sunshine Coast Council has always dreamed of building a convention centre, a 2011 feasibility study by Ranbury ditched the idea. The study found that building a new centre would cost $327 million, but a council spokesman said the study did not reflect the business conventions, exhibitions and performance events market requirements.

In March, the council hired PG International Consulting to begin a new study into bringing a convention centre to the new Maroochydore CBD. No decision has been made on the centre, but Cr Christian Dickson said that there have been discussions within the community about the possibility of a casino. At this point, it comes down to money. While the council could rely on Federal or State government grants or build partnerships with groups, Cr Dickson said “the council was committed to getting past that stumbling block.”